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The Web brings Dead Sea Scrolls to life
Tuesday, 11 October 2011 19:05

 

Until now, you could view the Dead Sea Scrolls only at an Israeli museum. The scrolls were discovered in the year 1947.

In a special project undertaken by Google along with high digital photography, you can see five of the total seven scrolls on the Internet. The site, which is known as The Digital Dead Sea Scrolls, provides individuals a glimpse of the past thus enabling individuals the opportunity to visualize and examine the documents in deeper details.
The Dead Sea Scrolls have been photographed by expert Ardon Bar-Hama. The pictures are believed to comprise more than 1200 mega pixels. According to the company, the high resolution enables viewers to view the manuscripts in detail.

Getting to the one of the many pages of the scrolls, you will be welcomed by the Great Isaiah Scroll providing its description, historical past, and the meaning. You can click on the image to read the words and view the appearance and age of the manuscript in its true sense. You can see the minor signs of aging, such as holes, cracks, and tears, which are the results of the last twenty-four centuries.

The site enables users to move from one page to another page or get to a specific page. Placing the cursor on a specific section of the manuscript enables you to view the details that you are reading. For getting the translated version of the old Hebrew words in English, all you need to do is click on the specific verse.

 

According to Google, users can find the specific scrolls by a simple search query using its search engine. If you Google the Dead Sea Scrolls and follow it with a specific verse, the results direct you to that particular section of the verse within the scrolls photograph. However, trying this provided only the regular search results without any links to the scrolls.

Sometime during the previous year, the Israel Museum in Jerusalem that houses the real manuscript contacted Google with this idea of digitally photographing the scrolls to bring themes alive.
Several people raised concerns on the effect of digital photography on the invaluable scrolls due to their exposure to air and light after a very long period. Expert photographer Ardon Bar-Hama used his personal technique for photographing sensitive dos. This enabled him to capture the picture of the Scrolls in a single shot, which prevented their prolonged exposure to harmful elements.

The scrolls are believed to have been penned between the third century and the first century before the Common Era. During the period 1947 – 1956, the seven scrolls were discovered in various caves in close proximity to the Dead Sea. According to the company, the Dead Sea Scrolls provide insight in to the early life and religious beliefs of ancient people of Jerusalem, which also includes the origin of Christianity.